Category: Local Trails

If you are an avid hiker in Southeast Connecticut and are looking for some new places to hike I hope you have tried some of the great hikes offered by the Lyme Land Conservation Trust. Two of my older favorites are Hartman Park and The Pleasant Valley/ Jewett Preserves. Hartman Park has many miles of…

I think it’s pretty fair to say that the Beseck Mountain Ridge along the Mattabessett Trail is often overlooked. If you are from Connecticut then chances are you have heard of Powder Ridge Ski Area. Powder Ridge sits along Beseck Mountain, but most people don’t go past the skiing and mountain biking trails there. As…

Perhaps you have heard of the Bushy Hill Nature Center in Ivoryton because your child took a school field trip there. Maybe even you have heard of Camps Pequot & Sherwood. But did you know that the property has hiking trails that are open to the public from September through May? In fact, there are…

Recently I had the pleasure of hiking the Great Cedars Conservation Area in Old Saybrook. This hike is one of 3 great hiking opportunities off of Ingham Hill Rd. These three areas are 1) The Preserve, 2) Great Cedars East and 3) Great Cedars West/Clark Community Park. This past Spring I hiked The Preserve which…

On my mission to do all of the Connecticut Forest and Park Association’s Blue Blazed Trails I recently came across the Shelton Lakes Recreation Path. We were out hiking along the beginning of the Blue-Blazed Paugussett Trail in Shelton when we started running low on time. Instead of hiking back the way we came on…

Don’t let the name fool you, Devil’s Den is a beautiful Nature Preserve located in Weston & Redding, Connecticut. At 1,756 acres, including 20 miles of trails, Devil’s Den is the largest continuous property belonging to The Nature Conservancy’s Connecticut Chapter. Devil’s Den is home to over 500 types of trees and wildflowers. On our…

“The Preserve” in Old Saybrook, Essex and Westbrook is a nearly 1000 acre forest protected in 2015 after many years of conservation efforts. It had been recognized as the largest remaining unprotected coastal forest between Boston & New York before its recent acquisition. Seventy acres in Essex is owned and managed by the Essex Land…

I always have to think a little differently when I have kids coming along on a hike with me. They are not going to be able to go as long as I would and I have to be prepared for frequent stops to examine nature. Gay City State Park in Hebron, CT is a great…

Wadsworth Falls State Park gets a lot of attention in the summer. It’s pretty common to hear that it has reached capacity. Some people may shy away from the park because of this, but there are ways to beat the crowds. First off, there is a swimming area with lifeguards and bathrooms at the main…

Back in 1975, the town of Guilford acquired 600 acres of land. Instead of turning it into the latest neighborhood development, it became the Timberland Preserve. Today the preserve serves as a place people can go to enjoy outdoor recreation including hiking, trail running, mountain biking, and horseback riding. Even licensed fisherman can enjoy trying…